While everyone’s family has their share of issues, the family tree of Jesus is filled with some

particularly shady characters. The first we come across is Judah. While Judah would eventually

become a respected name in Jewish culture, his past contained a very dark secret. By contrast,

his brother, Joseph, was a very good and vitreous man. Yet, despite Joseph’s “goodness,” God

chose Judah—sin and all—to become the ancestor of Jesus. Why? Because in the story of

Judah, we discover that God makes his grace available to people who have never even made

themselves available to God.